Change of Heart

by Courtney Walsh

  Evelyn’s throat went dry.

  “Who are you?” Georgina’s superiority permeated the air.

  “Georgina, I think it’s best if we cut the luncheon short.”

  “We haven’t even begun the meeting,” Georgina said. “The others are still eating.”

  “Georgina, please.” Evelyn practically pushed her out of the room, wishing she would just take a hint already. Her mind spun with possible scenarios. Why on earth was the FBI in her living room? And was there any way to get these ladies out without having to answer a million questions?

  “Evelyn, I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone here,” Georgina said as they returned to the dining room. “Ladies, there are two strangers who’ve just barged into Evelyn’s house. I think we need to get to the bottom of this.”

  Evelyn sighed. “They’re from the FBI.”

  A collective gasp filled the room.

  “What do they want with you?” Susan Hayes asked, rising from the table.

  “I don’t know,” Evelyn said. “I haven’t found out yet. Please go and let me call you all later.”

  “We should stay,” Georgina argued.

  “No.” Evelyn’s tone was firm for once. “Please go.”

  These women were really only here to help Christopher’s political career, and whatever the FBI wanted, she had a feeling it wasn’t going to be very helpful.

  Evelyn suspected that before she discovered why the FBI was sitting on her sofa, Georgina and the others would have a litany of false explanations floating around town. She ushered them out, dismissed the caterer, and returned to the room where she’d left the agents.

  “Do you know why we’re here?” Agent Todd asked.

  Evelyn shook her head. “You said it was about Christopher.”

  “Where is your husband now?” Agent Marnetti asked. She stood near the windows.

  “Denver. They’re in session. He’s a Colorado state senator. He was elected three years ago. He worked hard to get where he is.” She was rambling.

  Something passed between the two agents in a silent exchange.

  “What is it?” Evelyn folded her hands in her lap, feeling a rush of anxiety rise to the surface.

  “This is quite the house you have here, Mrs. Brandt.” Agent Marnetti walked toward the fireplace. “Is this marble?” She ran a hand along the mantel—a mantel most women would love. Evelyn had never cared for it. She’d tried her best to add personal touches—Christopher had allowed her to give three photos of the two of them to his decorator, a regal woman whose accent sounded like a cross between Britain and the Upper East Side. The photos stared at her from the mantel now.

  “How do you suppose your husband paid for such a lavish home, Mrs. Brandt?” Agent Marnetti asked as she picked up a framed wedding photo.

  “Would you mind telling me why you’re here?” Evelyn stared at the agents. She had a right to know, didn’t she?

  The two officials exchanged another telling glance. Agent Marnetti looked away.

  Agent Todd turned toward Evelyn. “We believe Senator Brandt has been embezzling money from the state.”

  Evelyn’s stomach twisted. “That’s not possible.”

  “We have evidence,” Agent Marnetti said. “Lots of evidence. And we think it started long before he became a state senator.”

  Christopher adored Loves Park. Serving in city government had been a point of pride for him. Surely there’d been a mistake—he would never do anything to jeopardize his future.

  Their future.

  “I’d like to call my husband.”

  “There will be time for that, but right now we’re going to have to ask you to step outside.”

  “Why?”

  “We need to look around. Determine your involvement in your husband’s crimes.”

  “My involvement? I don’t even know what you’re talking about.” Evelyn’s fingers were cold, like they always felt when she was nervous.

  “Then you have nothing to worry about,” Agent Todd said, his tone kind.

  It was clear who was who in the whole good cop/bad cop scenario.

  “Have you noticed any other elaborate purchases?” Agent Marnetti asked. “I mean, other than the house.”

  Evelyn frowned. “I don’t know. Christopher’s family has money. It’s not so hard to believe he’d be able to afford the things he’s bought.”

  “He lost all of his family’s money a few years ago, Mrs. Brandt,” Agent Todd said. “The senator made a few bad investments and lost it all.”

  “That’s not possible,” Evelyn said. “He would’ve told me.”

  “It seems there’s a lot he didn’t tell you,” Agent Marnetti replied. “Or maybe he’s just trained you really well on how to look innocent.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Evelyn said. “Christopher handled all of our money. I never even paid attention.” Her voice trailed off at the realization. She hadn’t wanted to know about the money. Christopher assured her they were fine, and that was good enough for her.

  She trusted him.

  “Probably not the smartest choice.” Agent Marnetti crossed her arms. “I find it hard to believe you didn’t suspect anything. What about the cabin your husband purchased last month up in the mountains?”

  “Our vacation home?” Evelyn had thought it was a bit excessive when Christopher bought that place, but she wouldn’t tell them that.

  “Quite a price tag on a home you rarely stay in.”

  “He was going to rent it out. Try to make some extra income. Christopher is a brilliant businessman.”

  “Spare us the rhetoric, Mrs. Brandt.” Agent Marnetti pulled a walkie-talkie out of her pocket. “Come on in,” she said.

  Agent Todd stood. “Why don’t we go outside? You don’t need to watch this.”

  The front door opened, and a group of men in suits entered, rushing past Evelyn.

  “You can’t do this,” she said, her voice barely audible.

  Agent Marnetti stopped in front of her. “We have a warrant.” She snapped open a folded piece of paper and handed it to Evelyn.

  Her phone beeped. A new text message from Susan Hayes. Georgina would like a full report once the FBI leaves your house. We’ll finish our meeting at her house. Join if you can.

  “It’ll be easier for you if you come with me,” Agent Todd said.

  “You’re just going to go through all of our things?”

  “We’ll only take what’s pertinent to the case.”

  A man walked by with her laptop.

  “That’s mine. Christopher has nothing to do with that computer.”

  “He might have hidden things on it, Mrs. Brandt. We have to cover all the bases.” Agent Todd ushered her toward the front door. “You can wait in my car.”

  Evelyn’s head started to spin, her heart raced, and she couldn’t get a good, deep breath. Not now. She turned her phone over in her hand. “I need to call my husband.”

  Agent Marnetti snatched the phone from her. “Not a good idea.”

  “He won’t answer, Mrs. Brandt,” Agent Todd said.

  “How do you know that?”

  “According to our director, he was arrested about fifteen minutes ago.”

  Evelyn couldn’t process what she was hearing. “I just spoke with Christopher. He didn’t say anything. Why didn’t anyone call me?”

  “We couldn’t risk you destroying evidence. Now, please, let’s go outside.” Agent Todd opened the door.

  As Evelyn stepped onto the porch, she heard her name being called from the yard. She glanced up and saw four television cameras all fixed on her.

  “Mrs. Brandt, did you know about the senator’s embezzlement?”

  “Mrs. Brandt, are you an accomplice to the fraud?”

  “Did you know your husband was a crook?”

  Wondering if she’d ever wake up from this terrible nightmare, Evelyn took a backward step into the house and slammed the door. “Get those people out of my yard.”

  �
��We’re working on it.”

  Evelyn walked through the house, trying not to pay attention to the way these federal agents were carelessly searching through everything she owned. She went out to the rear patio with Agent Todd following close behind.

  “Can you just leave me alone?”

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Brandt. My orders are to keep you in my sight at all times.”

  “You honestly think I had anything to do with any of this?”

  He shrugged. “Stranger things have happened, ma’am.”

  “Not to me.” Evelyn sat on a deck chair and let her head drop into her hands. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  A rustling in the bushes pulled her attention. She stood just in time to glimpse a man with a camera pointed at her.

  She spun around, head whirling, black dots at the edges of her vision. She struggled to breathe. This time she couldn’t keep the panic away. It was too strong. Every coping mechanism she’d learned in therapy eluded her, and she dropped into the chair, willing away the worry.

  Her heart felt like it was being squeezed. Her airway, blocked. Her mind spun out of control, unable to latch on to one sane thought.

  For a split second she was in her parents’ house again, hiding under the bed, hoping her father didn’t find her. He wouldn’t abuse her—not physically—but he would tell her what a disappointment she was. He would point out that she wasn’t living up to her potential, that what she needed was hard work and discipline. He would make her feel like the failure she was.

  I’ll never be good enough.

  “Mrs. Brandt?” Agent Todd leaned in. “Are you okay?” He turned to the man with the camera and shooed him away. “Get out of here. I can arrest you. This is private property.”

  The cameraman rushed off.

  “He’s gone, Mrs. Brandt.” Agent Todd stood a few feet away. “Do you need a doctor?”

  Slowly Evelyn’s panic subsided. It had been months since she’d had a panic attack, but they never got any easier. “I’m fine. I just want to be alone.”

  He lingered for a moment as if to assess her condition. “I’ll wait over here,” he said finally. “By the door.”

  But knowing she remained under his watchful eye was enough to prevent her from relaxing. That, coupled with the fact that her entire world had just come crumbling down around her, made Evelyn feel like she might never truly be at peace again.

  CHAPTER

  2

  THE FENCE AT THE BASE OF WHITNEY FARMS lay in pieces at Trevor’s feet. He’d been meaning to fix it for months, and last night one of the cows got out, so today it had become top priority. He hadn’t spent a fortune raising grass-fed cattle just to have them wander off in the middle of the night.

  The whole electric fence needed to be replaced, but the family farm had seen better months. Better years, if he was honest. Sometimes he wondered if there was any point in keeping the old place up and running, but every time the idea of shutting it down entered his mind, he heard his dad’s voice clear as day:

  “It’s not much, Son, but it’s ours. Our legacy. And that means something to us. It’s yours now. Your turn to carry on the Whitney name.”

  He shook the memory from his mind and hammered one of the broken slats to the post.

  He’d almost finished his repairs when an old blue four-wheeler appeared over the hill. His aunt Lilian stopped the vehicle a few feet away.

  “Where’s your helmet, Aunt Lil?” Trevor teased, prepared for whatever sarcastic remark she’d throw his way.

  When none came, he stopped his hammer midswing.

  She killed the engine. “You need to come inside.”

  Trevor frowned. “Why?”

  “Just come on. There’s something you need to see.” She started the engine back up. “It’s important, Trevor.”

  He didn’t like this one bit. Made him feel a lot like he did the day he got the call that his dad had passed away. And again, just two years later, when Mom followed him to heaven. He checked his pocket to be sure he had his phone with him. Had something happened to Peter? Jules? His siblings had chosen to leave Loves Park, but they still checked in now and then. When was the last time he’d spoken to either of them?

  Trevor followed Lilian back to the house. She didn’t live there, but she might as well for as much time as she spent at Whitney Farms as the organic vegetable grower. Insisted on having her own space, even though the guesthouse out back would’ve been perfect for her. That headstrong nature ran in their family.

  When she reached the driveway, she got off her four-wheeler and went inside.

  “Lil, what is going on?” he called after her but was answered with the slam of a screen door.

  Inside, he heard the news blaring from the television in the living room.

  Lilian stared at the screen, barely glancing up when he entered.

  “What is the big deal?”

  “Trevor. It’s Evelyn.”

  He followed Lilian’s gaze to the screen. The news replayed the same images on a loop. Evelyn walking out her front door, a horrified look on her face, a man in a suit at her side. Then Evelyn on her back patio, head in her hands.

  The text crawl at the bottom of the screen read, Senator Christopher Brandt arrested today on charges of fraud and embezzlement. Authorities question Brandt’s wife, seizing property in the couple’s Loves Park home.

  “Chris. What have you done now?” Trevor walked in a tight circle around the living room, trying to process what he’d seen. The close-up of Evelyn’s face told him she was terrified. His heart sank at the realization.

  As usual when it came to Evelyn Brandt, he felt completely helpless.

  Trevor went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, willing away the images with no luck.

  Lilian followed him. “Sorry; thought you’d want to know.” She leaned against the counter. “Did you see her face?”

  Yes. He’d seen. More proof of what he already knew. His old friend Chris had left her completely alone. Again. Who was going to clean up his mess this time?

  “Why do I feel like you think there’s something I can do about it?” He took a long drink. He had a fence to mend—and it had nothing to do with Evelyn. “It’s not like I can waltz in there and whisk her away.”

  Lilian only stared. Her silence always said more than words ever could. He hated that.

  “You want me to go over to a house crawling with federal agents and extract their prisoner.” Even saying the words sounded ludicrous.

  “She’s not a prisoner. She’s not under arrest. I’ll call Casey—he’ll know what to do.” Lilian had that look on her face—the one that told him she had no intention of leaving this situation alone. She took her phone out.

  Trevor had gotten really good at staying out of Evelyn’s life. For the past ten years, he’d been nothing more than a blip on the radar of her past. He didn’t like it, but that’s the way it had to be. He could hardly rush to her aid now that Chris had finally messed up big enough for someone to notice.

  Lilian set down her phone. “Casey didn’t answer. I’m going to see her.” Lilian grabbed the keys to the pickup truck from the hook by the door.

  “This is a bad idea.”

  “She’s your friend. At least, she was. And she’s got nobody.” Lilian looked like a stubborn toddler intent on getting her own way. His aunt had had fifty-plus years to perfect that stubbornness. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised.

  “Fine. I’ll go. But I’m going alone.” Trevor snatched the keys from her hand. “I don’t want you anywhere near this.”

  “I’ve handled my share of trouble.”

  Of that, he was sure, but he didn’t need Lilian getting in his head right now. He needed to be alone.

  He drove in silence toward town. He dialed Chris’s cell but got his outgoing voice mail message. He and Chris might’ve grown up together, but in recent years their paths had diverged in every way.

  Chris was wealthy and char
ismatic. Trevor was middle-class and introverted. Chris lived a life in the public eye. Trevor much preferred animals to people. Chris had won the most beautiful girl Trevor had ever known. Trevor was alone.

  It had been months since he and Evelyn had spoken, so why did Lilian’s argument sway him?

  He didn’t leave a message. Instead he flipped on talk radio, where some newsman out of Denver was explaining what they knew so far about Christopher Brandt, one of the youngest state senators in Colorado history.

  “According to the police, they’ve been building a case against Brandt for two years,” the reporter said. “Questions were raised after his brief career in local politics in his hometown of Loves Park. Authorities now have enough evidence to prove he was embezzling money from the state to the tune of three million dollars.”

  Trevor let out a groan. Leave it to Chris to figure out a way to get rich from a life in public service.

  “It remains to be seen whether the senator’s wife, Evelyn Brandt, was aware of or complicit in the fraud, but we’re told federal agents are at the Brandts’ Loves Park home gathering evidence today. We’ll continue to report on this story as the details are revealed.”

  Trevor rounded the bend that led to town while his mind wandered to the first time he’d met Evelyn. He, Chris, and the rest of the Loves Park High football team had just won a game against Dillon, their biggest rivals. The party that night was at Chris’s house. His parents were out of town as usual, and Trevor’s old friend loved to be the center of attention.

  Trevor had walked in, fresh off his game-winning touchdown, feeling on top of the world. Until he spotted that new girl outside by the pool. His mouth went dry at the sight of her.

  She sat in a chair next to two other girls, but there was something so different about her. He’d seen her at school a few times—even asked about her. She’d just moved here with her military family, someone said.

  He barely noticed the people slapping him high fives, telling him, “Good game.” Once he saw the new girl, all he could think about was finding a way to talk to her. And that said something. Trevor hardly ever started conversations with anybody.